Introducing Baltimore Host of the 13Th ACRL National Conference “Sailing Into the Future: Charting Our Destiny,” March 29–April 1, 2007
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ACRL national conference Elizabeth Mengel Introducing Baltimore Host of the 13th ACRL National Conference “Sailing into the Future: Charting Our Destiny,” March 29–April 1, 2007 altimore is a constantly evolving city with History Ba rich history. It is a city of neighborhoods In 1632 George Calvert, the first Lord and neighborhood institutions, a unique Baltimore, was granted land north of the blend of blue collar and academic high tech, Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore County, the fi rst of traditional attractions and local funk. The local government, was established in 1659. city offers conference attendees a wide ar Baltimore City was established December ray of activities from worldclass art, music, 31, 1796. libraries, and exciting sporting events to Water was critical to the economic devel simply sitting on the waterfront picking crabs opment of the city. Settlers built mills and and sipping iron furnaces cocktails. along the The city many small fans out waterways in mostly north the area. Like of the In the other ear ner Harbor, ly colonists, which is a Marylanders major tour chafed under ist draw. Di British rule rectly north and were in of the har the thick of bor lies the the conflict main busi during the ness area. A A view of the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Credit: Baltimore Area Revolution bit further Convention and Visitors Association. ary War. For north of the example, business district is Mount Vernon, the cultural shortly after the Declaration of Indepen center of the city. West of the Inner Harbor dence was signed, Baltimore became the is the Convention Center and Oriole Park at nation’s temporary capital from December Camden Yards. 20, 1776 to February 27, 1777. The business To help you get your bearings, remem of the country was handled in Baltimore’s ber that Charles Street divides the city Congress Hall. east to west. It is the major northsouth At the beginning of the 1800s, Baltimore thoroughfare of the city, stretching from was the nation’s thirdlargest city. The War the harbor to the citycounty line. If an ad dress reads “East” it will be east of Charles Elizabeth Mengel is head of collection management Street, “West” addresses will be west of at Johns Hopkins University, e-mail: [email protected] Charles Street. © 2006 Elizabeth Mengel September 2006 493 C&RL News of 1812 found Baltimore in the middle of as one of the divisions of the Johns Hopkins the action again. Privateers out of Baltimore University, the Peabody Institute comprises led water attacks on British ships. When the the Conservatory and Preparatory divisions. British attacked Washington, D.C., on August The George Peabody Library (the scholar’s 28, 1814, Baltimore residents could see the library) is part of the Johns Hopkins Librar smoke billowing from the city. Knowing they ies. Peabody’s gift inspired his friend Johns would be the next target, the city fortifi ed Hopkins to donate $7 million for the creation Fort McHenry. of a university and hospital, which today On September 12, 1814, the Battle of bear his name. The city’s third signifi cant Baltimore Harbor began. Situated on a boat philanthropist, Enoch Pratt, offered a gift to up river, Francis Scott Key watched as the the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore of a British bombs attacked Fort McHenry. As the central library, four branch libraries, and an smoke cleared and the foggy dawn emerged, endowment of $1 million. Today, the library Key spotted a tattered American fl ag still system has 21 branches. flying over the fort. The “StarSpangled During the early morning hours of Febru Banner,” his emotional poem commemo ary 7, 1904, the Great Fire of Baltimore broke rating that sight, eventually became our out. The blaze caused millions of dollars national anthem. That flag still resides at worth of damage and destroyed more than Fort McHenry. 70 blocks of prime downtown real estate, The next big boom to the city’s economy but miraculously took no lives. The fi re was the development of the Baltimore & burned for more than 30 hours before it Ohio (B&O) Railroad. Developed by Charles was finally contained. The city rebuilt itself Carroll, the railroad reached the Ohio River and, by the time of World War I, Baltimore’s in 1853. The railroad not only brought goods protected harbor provided an ideal center and services to Baltimore, it also brought for wartime industries. The city’s popula waves of immigrants to the city. You can tion continued to grow between the wars still see some of the original tracks from as many immigrants looked for work in the the B&O along Key Highway, south of the steel factories and shipyards. World War II Convention Center. saw Baltimore again provide many of the Those who know their geography know materials for battle, especially steel for ships that Maryland is located south of the Mason and airplanes. Dixon line. The city was divided fi nancially Urban revitalization, which began in and philosophically between north and the 1970s, culminated in the opening of south. By 1860, Baltimore City was home Harborplace in 1980, followed by the to more freed blacks than any other city in opening of the National Aquarium. Today, the state. The state’s song “My Maryland” redevelopment continues to spread from the depicts a skirmish between citizens of Bal Inner Harbor, including the development of timore and the 6th Massachusetts Infantry Harbor East, the opening of the Reginald F. as it passed through the city. The skirmish Lewis Museum of Maryland African Ameri resulted in riots and the first casualties of can History and Culture, the renovation and the Civil War on April 19, 1861. Baltimore opening of the Hippodrome Theater, and was occupied by federal troops for much much more. of the Civil War. After the war, three acts of great philan Baltimore firsts and famous residents thropy deeply changed the city. George Pea Baltimore is a city of many firsts. In 1774 the body gave $1.5 million to the city to establish first post office system in the United States the Peabody Institute, which was to include was inaugurated. In 1800 the fi rst investment a scholar’s library, a public lecture series, an house was started. Fort McHenry was the academy of music, and an art gallery. Today site of the first U.S. Army horse artillery. The C&RL News September 2006 494 Washington Monument in Mt. Vernon was the first monument to George Washington. The first Catholic Basilica in the United States was built in Baltimore. Designed by Benjamin Latrobe, it recently underwent a total refurbishment. Baltimore was the home of the first publicly supported high school for girls. In 1851 the first commercial ice cream factory was established. The Balti more Symphony is the first city municipal symphony in the United States. Baltimore is also home to the country’s fi rst scheduled water taxi system. Baltimore lists some impressive fi rsts in medical care, too—in 1894 Johns Hopkins surgeon William Halsted was the fi rst to wear rubber gloves in surgery, in 1942 Johns Hopkins Hospital was the first to identify the Polio virus. In 1955 Johns Hopkins estab lished the first intensive care unit. In 1961 The Washington Monument. Credit: Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors the first shock trauma unit was developed Association. at University of Maryland Hospital. In fact, the concept of the “golden hour,” which is lege; Loyola UniversityMaryland; Morgan the timeframe that increases the chances State University; St. Mary’s Seminary and of a person who suffered lifethreatening University; Coppin State College; Towson or catastrophic injury of surviving, was de University; University of Baltimore; the law veloped by the University of Maryland’s R. and medical schools at the University of Adams Cowley in 1970. MarylandBaltimore; University of Maryland Many famous folk have called Baltimore Baltimore County; Maryland Institute College home, including film makers Barry Levin of Art (the oldest accredited art school in the son and John Waters; actors Divine, David country); and Villa Julie College. Hasselhoff, John Astin, Parker Posey, and Jada Pinkett Smith; musicians Frank Zappa, Neighborhoods Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Eubie Blake, Baltimore is a city of neighborhoods. Neigh Ric Ocasek, Philip Glass, and “Mama” Cass borhoods close to the Inner Harbor are Little Elliot; barrier breakers Thurgood Marshall, Italy, Fells Point, Federal Hill, and Mount Reginald F. Lewis, Kweisi Mfume, and Vivien Vernon. You may even wander as far as Thomas; athletes Michael Phelps, Babe Ruth, Canton, which can be reached by walking Pam Shriver, Cal Ripken Jr., Johnny Unitas, along the Harbor. and Carmelo Anthony; writers Tom Clancy, Little Italy, just east of the Inner Harbor, Anne Tyler, Edgar Allan Poe, and many is the center of Baltimore’s Italian popula more. In a future issue of C&RL News, we’ll tion and is also home to many restaurants introduce you to some of the great literary and gelaterias. Fells Point (just beyond Little figures of Baltimore. Italy) established in colonial times, has many Known for the Johns Hopkins institutions, pubs and dining establishments, making Baltimore has many other educational insti for a lively night life. The popular televi tutions, large and small. The list of higher sion show Homicide: Life on the Streets was education institutions includes: the College filmed on location on the streets and in the of Notre Dame of Maryland; Goucher Col businesses of Fells Point. September 2006 495 C&RL News Federal Hill is located just southwest of small museums in Baltimore worth seeking the Inner Harbor.